Agricultural machine



Nov. 14, 1939. E, B. MOORE 2,130,253

AGR I CULTURAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 14, 1957 75 m 92 /6 Z9 M /5 76 Patented Nov. 14, 1939' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AGRICULTURAL MACHINE Eugene B. Moore, Swedesboro, N. J.

Application August 14, 1e37, Serial No. 159,151

3Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in agricultural machinery and more particularly to improvements in machines for spreading and distributing fertilizer, lime and like substances upon the surface of the ground.

The invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and the details of construction thereof and has for its object toprovide a machine of the type described whichis characterized by its more practical and efllcient operation and use.

Other objects of the invention and the features and details of construction thereof are set forth hereinafter and shown in the acciompanyin'g drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section taken lengthwise through the hopper of a machine em bodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in section on line 2-4, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section illustrating certain details of the construction and arrangement of the agitator I and wheel shafts and their bearings;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on line 4-4, Figure 1 showing certain parts of the invention in closed or inoperativeposition;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing showing such parts in open or operative position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation illustrating a modified form of means for securing the closure plates in closed or inoperative position; and

Figure '7 is an inverted fragmentary view in plan of the disclosure of Figure 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a machine for distributing and spreading fertilizenlime and the like made in accordance with my invention comprises a; hopper I having the cross section shape illustrated in Figure 2 and adapted to hold a supply of the material to be spread over the surface of the ground; The hopper I in the present instance is composed of upwardly diverging front and rear walls 2 and 2a, end walls 3 and 3a and a bottom member 4. A sleeve bearing 5 is secured within the hopper l adjacent the bottom 4 substantially midway between the end walls 3 and 3a thereof and the adjacent ends of a pair of aligned shafts 6 and 6a are journalled in said bearing 5, and project laterally therefrom in opposite directions through openings in the end walls 3 and 3a of the hopper where they are supported in the bearing portions 1 of brackets] secured to the outer faces supporting sleeve 'or bearing portions 1 thereof are outwardly offset or spaced from the adja- 10 cent face of said end walls, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, so that the corrosive fertilizer, lime and the like, which tends to work outwardly of the hopper along the shafts 6 and 6a, will fall from said shafts through the openings or gaps A provided. between the sleeve portions 1 and the face of the end walls 3 and 3a. Thus the corrosive fertilizer and lime is prevented'from entering the sleeve or bearing portions I and the possibility of corrosion of the inner bearing or journal surfaces thereof is substantially eliminated.

As shown in several figures of the drawing, the bottom 4 of the hopper I is provided with a plurality or series of aligned outlet apertures or openings l2 therein and a plate It is slidabiy supported against the underside of said hopper bottom 4 and provided with apertures or openings I4 therein adapted, in one position of said plate I3, to register with the openings i2 in said bottom 4. For the purpose of permitting easy removal or detachment of the plate l3 at will for cleaning purposes toprevent corrosion thereof,

I prefer to slidably support said plate 13 at the underside of the hopper bottom 4 by means of a plurality of elements I5 one end of each of which is pivoted as indicated at IE to the lower end of a plurality of bracket members or strips l1 secured to the external face of the front wall 2 of the hopper while the other end of each element I5 is releasably secured by means of wing nuts or the like IS in open ended slots formed in the lower ends of correspondingly positioned bracket members or strips 20 secured to the external surface of the rear wall 2a. of said hopper. Thus by merely loosening the wing nuts It the supporting elements l5 may be-swung or will drop downwardly about their pivots I6 from beneath the plate It which may then be easily and readily removed. v

4 The plate l3 may be actuated relatively to the hopper bottom 4 to control the discharge of material. from the hopper through the openings l2 therein by any suitable mechanism such as for example by means of a lever 2| pivoted to the 55 rear wall 2a of the hopper as at 22 and having its lower end detachably or releasably connected by means of a rod, bar or the like 23 to a bracket, lug or the like 24 secured to and projecting from the underside of said plate l3.

For the purpose of closing the several apertures or openings I 4 in the slidable plate l3 to further control the passage of material from the hopper therethrough, a plurality of closure elements 25, one for each of said openings H, are hingedly supported as indicated at 26 at the under side of said plate I! by means of individual brackets 21, and catch elements 28 which are rotatably carried by the brackets 21 as indicated at 29 so that they may be swung free of the closure elements 25 and then beneath the latter to releasably engage the notch or slot 30 in the projection or lug 3| on the underside thereof at will for the purpose of locking said elements in closing relation to the apertures H3 in the plate I3. In order that the closure elements 25 when in openrelation to the openings M in the plate l3 may be utilized as baiiies or deflectors to aid in the distribution and spreading of the material discharged through openings in the hopper bottom 4, an angular lug or projection 32 is formed on the underside of each element 25 adjacent its pivot 26 and arranged to engage a portion of the under surface of the brackets 21 as illustrated in Figure of the drawing to act as a stop to limit the extent of opening of the elements 25 to a position at an acute angle to the under surface of theplate 13. Thus material discharging through the openings ll in the plate l3 will engage the angular surface afforded by the elements 25 when open and be deflected and uniformly spread thereby over a substantial area ,of the ground over which the machine is travelling, and by providing individual closure elements 25 for each opening I4 in said plate l3 any one or a number of said openings may be selectively opened or closed as desired by the operator of the machine.

In lieu of the catch elements 28 which engage the notch 30 in the projection 3| on the closure elements 25, a modified form of catch may be employed to secure said elements 25 in closed or them in closing relation to the port M in the plate l3. A grip 38 is provided at the outer end of the bolts 35 by which the latter may be withdrawn against the action of the springs 36 to upon they will drop or pivot downwardly and be supported at an acute angle to the plate l3 by means of the angular lug or projection at the underside of said closures 25 as and in the manner previously described.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it is not intended that said invention shall be limited to such disclosure, but that modifications and changes may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, an apertured plate, a series of brackets corresponding to each aperture in said plate secured at the underside thereof, a closure member for each aperture pivotally carried by each such bracket, and means on each of said closure members arranged to engage an overlying part of the machine and support the closure members at an acute angle to the plate below theapertures when in open relation thereto for the purpose of deflecting and spreading material discharged through said apertures.

2. In a machine of the character described, an apertured plate, a series of brackets corresponding to each aperture in said plate secured at the underside thereof, a closure member for each aperture pivotally carried by each such bracket, means on each of said closure members arranged to engage an overlying part of the machine and support the closure members at an acute angle to the plate below the apertures when in open relation thereto for the purpose of deflecting and spreading material discharged through said apertures, and means also carried by said brackets for securing said closure members in closing relation with respect to their corresponding apertures.

3. In a machine of the character described, an apertured plate, a series of brackets corresponding to each aperture in said plate secured at the underside thereof, a closure member for each aperture pivotally carried by each such bracket, and means also carried by each of said brackets for securing its closure member in closing relation with respect to its corresponding aperture comprising a slidably mounted catch member arranged to engage under said closure member and resilient means urging said catch member inwardly for engagement with the closure member.

EUGENE B. MOORE.

disengage said bolts from the closures 25 where-,5 

